Fifteen accredited schools of nursing are accepting students in Nebraska. Despite the state’s relative nursing stability, there are reasons to encourage prospective students to pursue nursing in Nebraska. Regardless of nursing stability right now, fact is that across the board a high volume of working RNs is expected to vacate jobs—more than there are new grads entering the workforce.
By far the leading pathway to a nursing career remains the Associates degree. These 2-year programs train nurses for entry-level practice in a diverse array of patient care environments and are available at regional community colleges across the state, making them accessible and convenient. The problem is that community college Associates in Nursing programs are also some of the most backed-up, often with lengthy waitlists.
Because Nebraska is largely rural, healthcare for outlying communities is also a challenge with it comes to nursing. It’s not surprising that the majority of practicing RNs work in hospitals and many of them clustered in metro areas, like Lincoln.
Don’t overlook the nursing opportunities in smaller areas—which is most of the state-- where community hospitals, regional medical centers, urgent care centers and other types of rural and frontier community health facilities exist. Rural healthcare is a major concern for Nebraska.
The NE Nursing Student Loan Program is a need-based loan for service program designed to keep educated RNs working in the state following graduation. Recipients may earn up to $2,000 for their participation.
Other sources for financial aid include loan repayment programs through healthcare employment services, tuition reimbursement programs from your employer, and scholarships from nursing associations and organizations.
The Nebraska Board of Nursing should be your primary source for career information, including: